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Monday, April 23, 2018

Wouldn't Trade you...

"...makin' for the
trades on the outside...and the downhill run to Papeete..."

on way to BVI, not Papeete and by plane but still...

This line from the song Southern Cross,
truth be told, never really meant that much to me. While I have
always loved the romance of the song, the technicality of it was lost
on me until my sailing life began.

The 'Trades' in the song are the Trade
Winds.

that's a lot of arrow, so, you get the idea...

These winds blow consistently around
the world – northeast in the Northern Hemisphere and southeast in
the Southern. Sailors have depended on these consistent, predictable
winds to guide their vessels as they ran goods from Asia to Europe
and the Americas and back.

We used the dependablitly of the Trades
during our sailing classes in Tortola. The consistent winds there
make the islands one of the best sailing destinations.

Personally, to say I have 'sailed the
trades' enriches the adventure, romance, mystery persona I have
created in my head...

These days, shipping is not dependant
on the wind but on what ever magical fuel used to make those massive
vessels run. Yet, the Trade Winds are still important.

I won't get all meteoralogical on you
here, but in a very shallow explanation:

Cumulous clouds form over islands,
because of the warmth of the land mass and the temperature and
moisture content of the air above.

The Trade Winds steer rainfall, with
weaker winds causing an increase in rain.

The movement and temperature of the
gulf stream effects Trade Winds. As the water in the gulf stream
cools (from melting ice at the poles) the temperature difference
between water and air begins to equalize and the winds stall.

A stalled Trade Wind makes rain.

And wind.

As in the massive hurricanes we have
seen of late.

Hurricane Irma being a prime example.

We watched, safe in our Midwest home,
as Irma moved through the US Virgin Islands, devastated our beloved
Tortola, then moved on through Puerto Rico, and up to the Keys where
we watched in awe as the water from the bay at Key Lime was sucked up
by the wind, leaving boats beached on the sandy bottom where hours
before they had been floating.

In an update – Tortola is moving
forward with rehab well underway. The US Virgin Islands are also
bouncing back. Puerto Rico has had the slowest recovery but reports
from a March 2018 article in Travel stated that the island was
around 90% functional with power and telecommunication up and running
and over half of hotels and attractions open.

These islands still have a long way to
go.

Toursim powers a good deal of their
economy, so while I prefer to keep my favorite places relatively to
myself, give these beautiful places a thought when planning your next
big vacation.

I know we can't wait to go back.

There is something about the islands
that exceeds explanation.

Maybe its the warmth, the lush foilage,
the wonderful people, the exotic foods.

Personally, it has something to do with
those beautiful sunsets...and that....

'reach before a followin' sea....'

the red sunsets are caused by dust, blown by the winds from the Sahara...
thanks, Science...

*Southern Cross by Crosby-Stills-Nash, lyrics used with the utmost respect.

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I'm a landlocked beach bum here on the Coast of Illinois. No...not that Coast, you know, the one with broad shoulders. The other Coast. The one with tug boats and Arches and a bunch of ancient dead guys buried in Mounds.
I am an inadvertent sailor-thanks to my husband and our 15 foot handmade wooden sloop...for which I made the sails!
I am here to promote the beach bum lifestyle, even when surrounded by corn and clay and I hope to point out the everyday weirdness that is easy to miss because once you start seeing hairnets, you will never stop seeing hairnets.

I have a palm tree necklace. It set us back a whole ten dollars, purchased on the boardwalk in Destin, Florida during the first trip ...

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